Third-quarter earnings season (Q3) is under way and it’s taking place amid some renewed wobbles for AI and chip stocks.

With this in mind, this week’s show considers two companies that could be construed as defensive. First, we turn to emerging market-focused asset manager Ashmore – while not the most obvious port in a storm, its focus on debt rather than stocks means it offers resilience. Mark Robinson explains its recent trading update.

We then look at healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson, perhaps less of a defensive staple than it once was following the spin-off of its consumer division, but still a potential haven nonetheless. Julian Hofmann has the details and explores why, after a good year so far, its Q3 figures were not well received.

Julian also dives into this week’s Big Read: How to profit from profit warnings. He talks through recent trends, market reactions and what it all means for the wider economy.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:02 Ashmore

10:16 Profiting from profit warnings

23:14 Johnson & Johnson

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Investors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities.

Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode marks the publication of the first half of our annual Aim 100 special report – our review of the biggest companies trading on London’s junior market.

While Aim has had its share of issues in recent years, there are still plenty of stocks worth investors’ attention. The episode kicks off with one business that has had some problems of its own, including US budget cuts: equipment maker Judges Scientific. Julian Hofmann weighs up whether it can make a comeback.

We also dig into rare earths business Mkango Magnetic Materials, which combines exploration and recycling projects and has several global ventures to keep tabs on. Mark Robinson explains what’s going on with the company.

For those who are more risk-averse or looking to add a bit of balance to their holdings, we examine the state of play for wealth-preservation trusts: the trio of funds that often act as countercyclical portfolio picks. Holly McKechnie has the details on Ruffer, Personal Assets and Capital Gearing.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:11 Judges Scientific

10:59 'Safe' funds

20:06 Mkango Magnetic Materials

Listen to more podcasts from Investors’ Chronicle on Apple, Spotify and YouTube

Investors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities.

Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode begins by looking into Labour’s new ‘Your First Home’ scheme, a replacement for the controversial Help to Buy programme. Announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, it is designed to give more people a chance of buying their first property. But what does it actually entail? And will it succeed, or will it just prop up the housing market and housebuilders like its predecessor? Hugh Moorhead discusses the potential beneficiaries.

We then cast our ears to another bid for a UK-listed company: materials specialist RHI Magnesita’s attempt to acquire rival Vesuvius. Mike Fahy outlines what the takeover will look like and whether it’s likely to succeed.

We wrap up with our Big Read of the week on what history teaches us about investing. James Norrington explains why we need to look further than the recent past. From the 17th century to the pandemic, James discusses rising debt levels, trade wars and much more.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:05 'Your First Home' scheme

11:35 Bid for Vesuvius

22:07 Future-proofing portfolios

Listen to more podcasts from Investors’ Chronicle on Apple, Spotify and YouTube

Investors' Chronicle has supported private investors in the UK for over 160 years by highlighting rewarding investment opportunities.

Investors' Chronicle is a service by the Financial Times.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.